For some, youth sports are not an activity, but a way of life! With practice 2-4 times a week and games on the weekends, youth sports can quickly take over every free minute and dollar. But what about those families who understand the benefits of youth sports, but don’t want to pay the heavy cost in time, money, injury risk, and hyper-competition?

No matter what you do in life we are better by learning things like perseverance, dedication, work ethic, sportsmanship, leadership, honesty, respect, communication, and so on. Sports can teach all these and more when properly executed, but sadly that is not always the case. Instead, youth sports today is littered with a hyper-competitive, win-at-all-cost mentality that can result in some of the stories and experiences we have seen in the news or witnessed ourselves.

The fact is that youth sports today is blurring that line and treating kids like adults. Practice and games are 3-6 times a week, kids are being pushed physically and mentally, and winning is becoming the only acceptable outcome for success. It may sound obvious, but the fact is kids play sports because they want to have fun. Having fun is the #1 reason why kids play sports and not having fun is the #1 reason why kids drop out of sports.

Our mission is to bring sports back to where kids are the number one priority and having fun is the goal. We all want our kids to be successful and develop, but the way that is executed should matter. Why would you allow your child’s Coach to yell at your child on the soccer field, but think it outrageous if your child’s Math Teacher did the same thing? Would you scream at the English teacher on how they grade an essay, the way some scream at an Umpire for calling a strike zone? The Coach, Referee, and the Teacher are trying to help your kid “succeed,” so why are the expectations and acceptable behaviors different?

At i9 Sports we are a recreational youth sports league that focuses on having fun, learning sportsmanship, playing an age-appropriate game format, and it’s all done 1-day a week! Yes, that means practice and games are all on Saturday and/or Sunday! Imagine what you can do with 2-4 free weekday nights, maybe a family dinner? Imagine what it would be like to watch your child play without hearing cursing, negative comments, or worrying about a fight breaking out amongst adults? Now I am not saying i9 Sports is perfect, but we strive to create an environment and culture that eliminates these situations. Instead, I see kids getting an equal chance to play no matter their skill level and parents happy knowing their kids are developing socially, physically, and mentally in a safe and fun environment.

This is why we confidently say that i9 Sports is “The Way Youth Sports Should Be!”